Ignite Backup Failure on B11.11

[pranay142]

Hi,

We have a cron scheduled for ignite backup and i was going through the logs where i found that the backup on one of the server has failed. Below is the log file for the same.

Executing: /opt/ignite/bin/make_tape_recovery -vI -x inc_entire=vg00 -a /dev/rmt/0mn


======= 05/02/16 00:00:04 EDT Started /opt/ignite/bin/make_tape_recovery.
(Mon May 02 00:00:03 EDT 2016)
@(#)Ignite-UX Revision C.7.12.519
@(#)ignite/net_recovery (opt) Revision:
/branches/IUX_RA1103/ignite/src@82875 Last Modified: 2011-01-20
21:10:40 +0530 (Thu, 20 Jan 2011)


* Recovery Archive Description = Recovery Archive

* Recovery Archive Location = /dev/rmt/0mn

* Number of Archives to Save = 2

* Pax type = tar


In? dsk/vg name minor# Associated disks/mountpoints
2 v /dev/vg00 0x00 /dev/dsk/c1t6d0 /dev/dsk/c2t6d0
/dev/vg00/lvol1 /stand 2
/dev/vg00/lvol2
/dev/vg00/lvol3 / 2
/dev/vg00/lvol4 /tmp 2
/dev/vg00/lvol5 /home 2
/dev/vg00/lvol6 /opt 2
/dev/vg00/lvol7 /usr 2
/dev/vg00/lvol8 /var 2
-

-

-
* Creating Archive File List
* Creating Archive Configuration

* /opt/ignite/lbin/make_arch_config -c
/var/opt/ignite/recovery/2016-05-02,00:00/archive_cfg -g
/var/opt/ignite/recovery/2016-05-02,00:00/flist -n 2016-05-02,00:00 -r
pa -b 64 -d Recovery\ Archive -t 1 -i 1 -m t
* Saving the information about archive to
/var/opt/ignite/recovery/previews
* Creating The Tape Archive
* Checking configuration file for Syntax
* Writing boot LIF to tape
* Complete writing boot LIF onto tape.
* /opt/ignite/data/scripts/make_sys_image -c n -d /dev/rmt/0mn -t n -s
local -n 2016-05-02,00:00 -m t -w
/var/opt/ignite/recovery/2016-05-02,00:00/recovery.log -u -R -g
/var/opt/ignite/recovery/2016-05-02,00:00/flist -a 31537100

* Preparing to create a system archive.

* Archiving contents of genesis via tar image to local device /dev/rmt/0mn.
pax: Ready for volume 2
pax: Type "go" when ready to proceed (or "quit" to abort): 
pax: Unable to prompt user: /dev/tty is unavailable.
WARNING: The pax command returned a non-zero exit status (exit status 1).
ERROR: The find_files command failed (exit status 141).

ERROR: The make_sys_image command failed. The system recovery archive will
not be created.


======= 05/02/16 00:49:20 EDT make_tape_recovery completed unsuccessfully

The output of other necessary commands is below :

#ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/0/1/0.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C1537A
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BEST /dev/rmt/c0t3d0DDS
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0DDSb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTn /dev/rmt/c0t3d0DDSn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0BESTnb /dev/rmt/c0t3d0DDSnb

#mt -f /dev/rmt/0mn status
Drive: HP C1537A
Format: DDS-1 format
Status: [a1111300] EOF EOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 2
Block: -1

#

#grep -i dev/ etc/rc.config.d/srconf
MTR_TAPE_DRIVE="/dev/rmt/0mn"

Though not sure but it seems the capacity of the tape is not enough to encompass the entire backup that's it asks for user to provide an input(either go or quit). Also as it's a cron so no one is available to replace the tape.

Kindly let us know if we need to use a high capacity tape or if the issue is something else.


 

[Steven Schweda]

> pax: Ready for volume 2
> pax: Type "go" when ready to proceed (or "quit" to abort):
> pax: Unable to prompt user: /dev/tty is unavailable.

> Though not sure but it seems the capacity of the tape is not enough to
> encompass the entire backup that's it asks for user to provide an
> input(either go or quit). Also as it's a cron so no one is available to
> replace the tape.

   That's how I'd interpret it.

> Drive: HP C1537A
> Format: DDS-1 format

   My quick Web search suggests that a C1537A is a DDS-3 drive, so my
first question would be why it's not using a higher density.  Are you
using a DDS-3 tape?  If so, has it been initialized to a lower density?

[pranay142]

Hi Steven,

I checked with my onsite technician and he told me that it's a DDS4 tape and it's capacity is only 1.3G. How can I check if it's initilized to a lower density?

[Steven Schweda]

> I checked with my onsite technician and he told me that it's a DDS4
> tape and it's capacity is only 1.3G.

   I checked with Google, and he told me that it's a DDS-3 drive with a
capacity of 24GB (compressed, 12GB raw).

      http://download.transtec.de/doit/loadva/software/w3/CD_STOR_HTML/backup/t71/HP_DDS_auto_eng.pdf

(And how did he determine the tape's capacity?)

   I have no idea what happens when you try to use a DDS-4 tape in a
DDS-3 drive, but, as I read:

      http://4rgroup.com/sanpham/product-doc/Imation_BR_4mm_DDS.pdf

it would seem that a DDS-4 (150m) tape is "not compatible" with a DDS-3
drive.

   1.3GB seems to be what a short (60m) DDS-1 tape (no compression)
should hold.

    Knowing only what I see on the Web, I'd try a DDS-3 (or -2) tape, and
see what happens.  (Or a DDS-4 drive.)  What had you been using before
(when it worked as expected, if ever)?

[Bill Hassell]

The DDS tapes look similar but they are definitely not interchangeable. 
You can write the tape drive's format on the current and one lower, possibly two lower level tapes.
For example: DDS3-drive can write a DDS3 and a DDS2 tape.
You cannot write on tapes that are 2 or more gnerations back.
The DDS3 drive will read DDS3, DDS2 and DDS1, but a DDS1 tape is treated as read-only.
The firmware in each DDS drive will automatically reject any tape higher than the drive.
A DDS4 tape will not load in a DDS3 drive.
Note: a fake DDS4 tape might load but I would never use it for anything important.
There is a Media Recognition series of stripes (MRS) at the front of the tape and the drive ejects any tape which is a higher version than the drive.

http://h20564.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-lpg50457

As is true with every tape drive with built-in compression, the *ONLY* capacity is the native or raw value minus any bad spots on the tape. Compression is 100% dependent on the data. Truly random data will have a compression ratio of 1:1 (ie, none) but dozens of gigabytes of spaces will compress 10:1, even 100:1. A backup of vg00 averages 1.2:1 to 1.4:1. Marketing has historically stated the capacity as 2:1 compression with fine print stating the 'real' capacity.

So what tool was used to measure the stored capacity of the 'DDS4' tape? If this is a fake DDS4 tape, it may not have the MRS stripes and as such, the drive will treat the tape as DDS1 format.

Tape backup is far too important to use cheap media. The last thing you need is a backup tape that cannot be read.

[pranay142]

Hi Bill/Steven,

Please find attached the picture of the tape and tape drive being sent to me by the onsite technician. The capacity mentioned on the tape is 1.3GB.

Kindly suggest what should be done.

[Robert_Jewell]

So that picture shows that the tape is a DDS-1 cartridge.  its not a DDS4 tape, its a DDS 4mm tape - which means DDS verision 1.

You need to aqcuire some DDS-3 tapes.

-Bob